The Roads Of Kildare Guitar Chords And Lyrics
Written by John Duggan and recorded by Michael And P.J., Brian Coll, Seamus Moore, Daniel O'Donnell, P.J. Murrihy & Seamus Shannon, P.J. Murrihy recently recorded Ailish McBride, the Furey Brothers song My Father's House which other singers went on to sing. Michael Bracken and recently by Irish country singer Catlin Murtagh-Guitar chords by Marc Fahrbach. Genre = Irish folk song. [ Kildare is a County in Ireland next to Dublin ] There are many songs about Kildare on the site including The Curragh Of Kildare Lyrics which is most likely the more popular. The guitar chords are in D Major.
The sheet music / tin whistle notes are in the ebooks here .
(D)Johnny was born in a (G)man(D)sion, down in the (A)County of (D)Clare(A)
(D)Rosie was born by the (G)roadside, somewhere in (D)County Kil(A)dare(A7)
(D)Destiny brought them to(G)ge(D)ther, on the road near Killorglin one (A)day(A7)
In her (D)bright pretty shawl she was (G)sing(D)ing,
And she stole his (A7)young heart a(D)way
(A7)For she said.....
Chorus
(D)Meet me tonight by the (G)camp-(D)fire, come with me (A)over the (D)hill(A)
(D)Let us be married to-(G)morrow, please let me (D)whisper I (A)will(A7)
(D)What if the neighbours are (G)talk(D)ing,
Who cares if your friends stop and (A)stare(A7)
You'll be (D)proud to be married to (G)Ro(D)sie
Who was reared on the (A7)roads of Kil(D)dare
(D)Think of the parents that (G)reared (D)you, think of the (A)family (D)name(A)
(D)How could you marry a (G)Gypsy? Oh what a (D)terrible (A)shame(A7)
(D)Parents and friends stop your (G)plea(D)ding, don't worry about my a(A)ffair(A7)
For I've (D)fallen in love with a (G)Gyp(D)sy
Who was reared on the (A7)roads of Kil(D)dare
(A7)For she said....
Chorus
(D)Johnny came down from his (G)man(D)sion, just as the (A)sun had gone (D)down(A)
(D)Turning his back on his (G)kin-folk, likewise on his (D)own native (A)town(A7)
(D)Facing the roads of old (G)Ire(D)land, with the gypsy he loved so sin(A)cere(A7)
When they (D)came to the light of the (G)camp-(D)fire
These are the (A7)words he could (D)hear
(A7)And she said....
Chorus
You'll be (D)proud to be married to (G)Ro(D)sie
Who was reared on the (A7)roads of Kil(D)dare
(D)Rosie was born by the (G)roadside, somewhere in (D)County Kil(A)dare(A7)
(D)Destiny brought them to(G)ge(D)ther, on the road near Killorglin one (A)day(A7)
In her (D)bright pretty shawl she was (G)sing(D)ing,
And she stole his (A7)young heart a(D)way
(A7)For she said.....
Chorus
(D)Meet me tonight by the (G)camp-(D)fire, come with me (A)over the (D)hill(A)
(D)Let us be married to-(G)morrow, please let me (D)whisper I (A)will(A7)
(D)What if the neighbours are (G)talk(D)ing,
Who cares if your friends stop and (A)stare(A7)
You'll be (D)proud to be married to (G)Ro(D)sie
Who was reared on the (A7)roads of Kil(D)dare
(D)Think of the parents that (G)reared (D)you, think of the (A)family (D)name(A)
(D)How could you marry a (G)Gypsy? Oh what a (D)terrible (A)shame(A7)
(D)Parents and friends stop your (G)plea(D)ding, don't worry about my a(A)ffair(A7)
For I've (D)fallen in love with a (G)Gyp(D)sy
Who was reared on the (A7)roads of Kil(D)dare
(A7)For she said....
Chorus
(D)Johnny came down from his (G)man(D)sion, just as the (A)sun had gone (D)down(A)
(D)Turning his back on his (G)kin-folk, likewise on his (D)own native (A)town(A7)
(D)Facing the roads of old (G)Ire(D)land, with the gypsy he loved so sin(A)cere(A7)
When they (D)came to the light of the (G)camp-(D)fire
These are the (A7)words he could (D)hear
(A7)And she said....
Chorus
You'll be (D)proud to be married to (G)Ro(D)sie
Who was reared on the (A7)roads of Kil(D)dare
Alternative Guitar chords in G
(G)Johnny was born in a (C)man(G)sion, down in the (D)County of (G)Clare(D)
(G)Rosie was born by the (C)roadside, somewhere in (G)County Kil(D)dare(D7)
(G)Destiny brought them to(C)ge(G)ther, on the road near Killorglin one (D)day(D7)
In her (G)bright pretty shawl she was (C)sing(G)ing,
And she stole his (D7)young heart a(G)way
(D7)For she said.....
Chorus
(G)Meet me tonight by the (C)camp-(G)fire, come with me (D)over the (G)hill(D)
(G)Let us be married to-(C)morrow, please let me (G)whisper I (D)will(D7)
(G)What if the neighbours are (C)talk(G)ing,
Who cares if your friends stop and (D)stare(D7)
You'll be (G)proud to be married to (C)Ro(G)sie
Who was reared on the (D7)roads of Kil(G)dare
(G)Johnny was born in a (C)man(G)sion, down in the (D)County of (G)Clare(D)
(G)Rosie was born by the (C)roadside, somewhere in (G)County Kil(D)dare(D7)
(G)Destiny brought them to(C)ge(G)ther, on the road near Killorglin one (D)day(D7)
In her (G)bright pretty shawl she was (C)sing(G)ing,
And she stole his (D7)young heart a(G)way
(D7)For she said.....
Chorus
(G)Meet me tonight by the (C)camp-(G)fire, come with me (D)over the (G)hill(D)
(G)Let us be married to-(C)morrow, please let me (G)whisper I (D)will(D7)
(G)What if the neighbours are (C)talk(G)ing,
Who cares if your friends stop and (D)stare(D7)
You'll be (G)proud to be married to (C)Ro(G)sie
Who was reared on the (D7)roads of Kil(G)dare
this is a grand tale of posh meets pavements, silver spoons meets tin kettles, and the finest example of love giving two fingers to social class since Romeo hopped a garden wall.
☘️ Act 1: Johnny of Clare — Born With a Cushion Under Him. Johnny starts off life in pure luxury --
born in a mansion in County Clare,
where the biggest hardship is probably
that the soup isn’t hot enough.
He grows up with polished manners,
shiny boots,
and a family crest large enough to be mistaken for a small billboard.
☘️ Act 2: Rosie of Kildare — Born With the Wind. Rosie, meanwhile, arrives into the world:
“by the roadside, somewhere in County Kildare.”
Not exactly a maternity ward.
More like a drive–through birth.
She’s a gypsy lass — free, wild, singing her heart out,
shawl flying behind her like she owns Ireland’s wind.
She’s the kind of woman you don’t court --
you get swept away by.
☘️ Act 3: The Great Collide — On the Road to Killorglin. Fate — probably bored and mischievous --
brings them together on the roadside.
Johnny takes one look at Rosie singing in her shawl
and his heart goes:
“Good luck, lad — you’re done for.”
Rosie essentially proposes on the spot:
“Meet me tonight by the camp–fire…
let’s get married tomorrow.”
She has no time for messing around.
When she wants a man, she orders him like a pint of stout.
☘️ Act 4: The Outrage of the Respectable People. Johnny’s posh relatives and concerned neighbours
begin clutching their pearls.
They shriek:
“How could you marry a gypsy? Think of the family name!”
Translation:
“She doesn’t have cutlery, breeding, or a two–story house — this is a scandal!”
Johnny, bless him, replies mentally with:
“Feck the lot of ye.”
He only cares about love --
and Rosie’s eyes --
and possibly the shawl.
☘️ Act 5: Down the Road He Goes. Johnny abandons everything:
“Facing the roads of old Ireland
with the gypsy he loved so sincere.”
He trades a mansion for a campfire,
a title for a tin whistle,
and polish for passion.
☘️ The Irish Spirit Summary. This is a ballad of:
Rosie steals a heart without even trying,
and the neighbours get something juicy to gossip about
for the next twenty years.
It’s Irish romance at its finest:
wild, impulsive, defiant,
and entirely ruled by the heart --
not the head.
Or as an Irish aunt would say:
“Sure the lad lost everything --
but at least he found love…
and probably a lot of fun along the way.”
☘️ Act 1: Johnny of Clare — Born With a Cushion Under Him. Johnny starts off life in pure luxury --
born in a mansion in County Clare,
where the biggest hardship is probably
that the soup isn’t hot enough.
He grows up with polished manners,
shiny boots,
and a family crest large enough to be mistaken for a small billboard.
☘️ Act 2: Rosie of Kildare — Born With the Wind. Rosie, meanwhile, arrives into the world:
“by the roadside, somewhere in County Kildare.”
Not exactly a maternity ward.
More like a drive–through birth.
She’s a gypsy lass — free, wild, singing her heart out,
shawl flying behind her like she owns Ireland’s wind.
She’s the kind of woman you don’t court --
you get swept away by.
☘️ Act 3: The Great Collide — On the Road to Killorglin. Fate — probably bored and mischievous --
brings them together on the roadside.
Johnny takes one look at Rosie singing in her shawl
and his heart goes:
“Good luck, lad — you’re done for.”
Rosie essentially proposes on the spot:
“Meet me tonight by the camp–fire…
let’s get married tomorrow.”
She has no time for messing around.
When she wants a man, she orders him like a pint of stout.
☘️ Act 4: The Outrage of the Respectable People. Johnny’s posh relatives and concerned neighbours
begin clutching their pearls.
They shriek:
“How could you marry a gypsy? Think of the family name!”
Translation:
“She doesn’t have cutlery, breeding, or a two–story house — this is a scandal!”
Johnny, bless him, replies mentally with:
“Feck the lot of ye.”
He only cares about love --
and Rosie’s eyes --
and possibly the shawl.
☘️ Act 5: Down the Road He Goes. Johnny abandons everything:
- the mansion
- the fancy dinners
- the inheritance
- the Sunday suits
- the judgemental aunties
“Facing the roads of old Ireland
with the gypsy he loved so sincere.”
He trades a mansion for a campfire,
a title for a tin whistle,
and polish for passion.
☘️ The Irish Spirit Summary. This is a ballad of:
- boy meets girl
- class meets freedom
- mansion meets caravan
- and love tells social status to shove off.
Rosie steals a heart without even trying,
and the neighbours get something juicy to gossip about
for the next twenty years.
It’s Irish romance at its finest:
wild, impulsive, defiant,
and entirely ruled by the heart --
not the head.
Or as an Irish aunt would say:
“Sure the lad lost everything --
but at least he found love…
and probably a lot of fun along the way.”
P.J. Murrihy song The Roads Of Kildare
